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Deer Hunting Noob Needs Help

3K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  howlnmad 
#1 · (Edited)
I will be deer hunting the first time this season with my teenage son... we have no idea what we are doing. We started last fall collecting equipment. We both got rifles and were able to sight them in and the rifles are accurate (we had a lot of fun trying to shoot good groups, were able to get sub-moa at 100 yards, that was fun!).

We will be hunting in a rugged mountain terrain for mule deer. Rugged ridgelines up to 7000' with steep canyons, in an area that is semi-arid almost like high desert but not quite, some high plateau areas... not really sure how/where/when to hunt for them... read some about "glassing" and "spot and stalk" but not sure what to do... read some about glassing in early morning/evenings when they come out of beds, and then looking for bedding areas during the heat of the day... don't know what makes sense...

Any help you can offer would be appreciated!
 
#2 ·
I am familiar with this type of hunting in central Nevada similar to what your talking about.Deer do move out of there beds early morning and late evening.In your equipment do you have topical maps.Look for springs and creeks.Deer will be near these area's.I hunted in the 6000 to 7000 ft.of the Hot Creek Range in NV.Try walking up the rugged ridge lines in early morning.Also the bucks are loners, they stay high on the ridges.I saw one with a spotting scope and blasted him on the other side of the canyon once with a Remington 700 30-06 180 grain bullet.A 4 point buck. Find a high spot where you can see movement from several canyons works also.Try to keep noise and talking to a minimum.They will avoid your presence in the area your moving through.Good Luck.
 
#5 ·
Caneman welcome to the worlds most vital school for millenia , hunting ...

i take it by glassing you mean looking over area's looking for stand out area's that could be beds or game trails ?

we've a lot of differences in terminology

height has advantages and disadvantages , deer's eyes are drawn to movement and they smell the wind often so keep that in mind as well

first thing if you spot a deer is to make sure it dont spot you and to keep it that way , sudden movments tip them off way more than slow deliberate ones at range

if you can walk just off the crest so not much of you is silloetted by the sky,

i follow creek and riverlines but high up i set out before dawn and walk till 9 or so and back here :D then about 4pm this time of year i head out again until 2 hours after sunset but thats for foxes , the colder winter is making them worth way more than normal , and deer.. i've the freezer almost full , 2 deer 2 roo's and a heap of shark so i'm ok for a while

but when i am after them thats how i play it , i'm in a area where i can drag what i'm keeping to a road or track

and FT is spot on i gut and part dress on the spot or near where i can dig a hole ..

tastes way nicer eh

walk often enough and you'll see the patterns the herds use , where they most often bed , most often first drink , move first to graze most often

i've 19 good game trails marked on my GPS after a year here ( i relocated last year ) so its not so hard now , if you learn way more than you shoot your doing fine ..

hunting something that you can repeat because you need meat on the table and via knowledge and skill and that takes a lot of learning and dud trips ;) thats life

but its in the repetition and use of that knowledge that expertise is gained

try to pick vallys that allow you a good view of critters moving to and from the water as this is often the best time to pick them up , and there'll most likly be a path way where they come out of that could lead to their bed area ;)

good luck eh
 
#6 ·
Spot and Stalk for your first time????? OK. Well I will tell you spot and stalk is what i consider more for an antelop hunt. Antelop are courious animals and deer are spookie.

What state are you hunting in?

Here is some sound advice, get yourself a good range finder and practice shots out to 400 yrds. Get good at the 3 to 4 hundred yrd shots, just in case but more than likely I think. 1 to 275 yrds not much difference but big changes happen from 3 to 4 hundred. Even if your not planing to take a 400 yrd shot it is good to have a range finder and range some objects while your sitting so you know what is out of your range.

Another piece of sound advise, use good ammo, and what i mean by that is get close to match ammo as possible. Hornady makes some good stuff.

Let me know where your hunting I might be able to toss you a few pointers.

Spot and stalk for antelop is no big deal but for deer it may be harder especially if you cant shoot to 600 yrds. Like i said they are spookie. I would try to find trails between where they eat and bed down and stick close to them. This will limit your shots to comfortable yardage. Some times i walk fence lines and look carfully on both sides of the fence for prints where they jump over or cross. Being your first time you might not know what to look for so you will probably need to spend lots of time in the countryside observing. If at first you dont succeed keep trying. Eventually it will happen.
 
#7 ·
hey there caneman. theres all kinds of diff choices but i find it starts with prep. NO! smelly soap when ya wash your clothes or yourself.I put pine branches in with my camo stuff cause im in pine trees. no after shave or deodorant, then yes get there b4 dawn i've laid on ridgelines with does all around me . one move and poof all gone. then as flying tiger said look for water sources they wont be far off of those. but remember the buck will be further off. any moves are bad ones so at dawn try for awhile to just watch use late morning to move and look. im not really sure where your at so i dont know what to say bout camo but i use it, works for me. like was mentioned,are maps or gps . sucks gettin lost!I hope this helps some. enjoy it all and be safe. aim straight shoot straight.and if you dont get one then theres always next year! i bagged my first one with a dodge 75 lol good hunting
 
#10 ·
Howdy Caneman,you know you are getting real good advise here. I would like to pitch in. Spot and stalk could work for you if you know what your looking at. several times I have watched deer hunters walk right by a bedded deer and cant see a thing. They probably should have been looking for a antler or a pair of ears maybe a rump patch.Some times you should slow down and take a GOOD look. Spoting can be done any time I never go out without binos.My self I use a good spotting scope you can watch your deer from a good distance. That way you can stay out of the area until your ready to hunt. They talked about how important shooting your rifle is. You might consider shooting up hill down hill and across a canyon.Living and hunting out west we do this all the time at 3-400 yards with the ever blowing wind. I dont like supprises I kniow my rifle and ammo in side out. I think a Range finder is a good idea I got my first one 2 years ago and its worth every penny! One more thing good luck to both of you and have alot of fun
 
#11 · (Edited)
scouted one area on saturday... once we got to the "spot" we did see a lot of deer tracks but no deer... it was a high plateau area that was pretty thick with bush, and we couldn't find a spring... walked around for about 30' after a 2 mile hike to get there! the hike took about 2 hours one way as we were shooting squirrels along the way, and it was up and down over 3 ridges... not sure if this is going to be our spot, it would be perfect for a quad... thinking about plan B now...
 
#12 ·
scouted one area on saturday... once we got to the "spot" we did see a lot of deer tracks but no deer... it was a high plateau area that was pretty thick with bush, and we couldn't find a spring... walked around for about 30' after a 2 mile hike to get there! the hike took about 2 hours one way as we were shooting squirrels along the way, and it was up and down over 3 ridges... not sure if this is going to be our spot, it would be perfect for a quad... thinking about plan B now...
Used to walk the mountains every year to hunt. With age I got a ATV and buddy its great! i can cover a lot of ground and set up in remote places. very handy for packing game out also. No more walking for me. The deer in my hunting area are used to the sound, but you still have to use common sense.They are spooky.
Just the thing to keep older hunters in the woods.
 
#14 ·
An ATV would be very useful.I remember pulling a deer down a mountainside with one of those thick plastic tarps with the straps you attach to your waist.Every one has heard the term"dead weight"we'll now I know what was meant by that.Wow was I exhausted.The deer was 125lbs.
last time out i did the same tarp pull. i tried to butcher it down where it was but we have meat bees that go nuts when ya try and do that. by the time we got it to to the road i couldnt lift that deer into the truck. coulda used an atv that time. next time, you betcha.
 
#16 ·
There are two musk glands on the inside hocks of the rear legs. The hair is all twisty and oily. Use plastic gloves and a small knife, cut them off. Then use another knife, another pair of gloves, gut the deer and get it where it can be skinned and cooled asap. That makes good meat. Same with all animals, clean and cool asap.
 
#18 ·
Let me explain the relevance of that post, NC doesn't use tags anymore. We get a "report card" on it are six deer, two turkeys, two boars, and if memory serves only one bear "tag". Beside each listing is a scope reticle, before you can even touch your kill you use a hole punch or knife to cut it out. Once it's cut out, you can field dress. You have to notify wildlife either through the 1-800, the website, or the phone app within 24 hours or before you skin your kill.
 
#19 ·
There are two musk glands on the inside hocks of the rear legs. The hair is all twisty and oily. Use plastic gloves and a small knife, cut them off. Then use another knife, another pair of gloves, gut the deer and get it where it can be skinned and cooled asap. That makes good meat. Same with all animals, clean and cool asap.
thanks didn't know about that...

what about the bladder, does that need special handling or just rip it out with the other insides? also, does the rectum need special handling as well?
 
#20 ·
#21 · (Edited)
all good advise here i like to say try some product like sentaway,ect. I use them w/success here in AZ on coueswhitetail ,and use a good premium bullet such like the barnesTsX,noslerPT,hornady, ect. Fr a one shot kill You don't want your deer wounded and then run away down a mountain or canyon then spending hours tracking it:(
Goodluck on yo hunt:)
 
#22 ·
Others have mentioned this, but the most important thing you can do while glassing is to stay hidden. Deer will ALWAYS see you before you see them if you are sitting on a rock or standing. Your best bet is to find a place up high that has good visibility. After you have found your place, locate a large bush. Break off some of the lower branches to create a pocket that you can sit in while glassing. Get as far back into the bush as you can and use the shadow to your advantage. The deer will not be able to see you even if you move around a little bit. You might even fold up a 4' x 4' square piece of camoflauge mesquito net and carry in your pocket. Once you are sitting in the pocket of the bush, hang the mesquito net in front of you like a curtain. That is an old sniper hide trick. The darker you can make it in that pocket, the harder it will be for the deer to see you.
Cedar trees are great for this purpose. Not only are they bushy enough to conceal you, but the cedar also masks your scent.
 
#23 ·
thanks didn't know about that...

what about the bladder, does that need special handling or just rip it out with the other insides? also, does the rectum need special handling as well?
Keep those glands that you cut off the hind legs, they're good to hang in limbs as an attractant. As for the bladder and such... just be careful not to rupture it.
 
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